Could This Be Real?
by slytherin17
Summary: When Hermione finds out she has a sister in Australia, she is determined to find her. Ron is ready for a change, so he decides to come along with her. Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy, trying to get away from everything and everyone he knows, decides to get a job at the Ministry of Magic in Australia. Fate has it that they all meet up, Hermione's sister included. Who ends up with who?
1. The Letter

**All rights go to JK Rowling, the author of the amazing Harry Potter series**

Hermione woke up to her heart beating so fast she thought it was going to burst. Beads of sweat were dripping down her temples as she looked to her right to check the time; 2:37 AM. _What was I even dreaming about?_ She questioned herself, yet she couldn't remember. _Great, now I can't go back to sleep. Guess I should do something productive instead of staring at the celling,_ she decided. A book sat on her bedside table, waiting for her to pick it up. This was becoming a common occurrence for Hermione. _Lumos_ she whispered, making sure not to disturb Ginny who was sleeping on the bed next to her.

This was her second week at the Burrow, and as much as she loved the Weasleys, she was beginning to think it was time to move out. She did not want to overstay her welcome, especially at a time when the whole family was mourning over Fred's death. But Ron, her new boyfriend, was the only thing making her stay. While she wasn't sure exactly how she felt for him, it would be completely heartless for her to let him down now.

Hermione thought of her father as she read the book, this particular book was called _The Lord of the Rings_ and it was a Muggle book, gifted to her by her dad during the last Christmas she spent with him. As she was reading, the storyline of the book reminded her much of the Battle of Hogwarts, with the magical creatures and magical objects. And just as her side had won at the battle, she was confident that good would prevail in the story. As she turned the page of the book, a slip of paper fell out. It was dated a year before she was born in her father's handwriting to her mother and it read,

 _Dear Monica,_

 _I do not know how to tell you this, but here it goes. I had an affair while visiting my parents, with my old neighbor, Lisa. She was my high school sweetheart. I do not know why I did it, and I still love you more than ever, you are and will always be my true sweetheart. The complication is that she is pregnant from our affair. I told her that this was a huge mistake and she has agreed that it will be the best for both of us if we put the baby girl up for adoption. I understand that there is a family in Australia that is interested. With our own baby girl on the way, I hope this does not ruin the trust in our relationship. I understand if you do not want me to come home for a while, but I truly believe that we will work things out. I love you and I am really truly sorry._

 _Wendall_

Tears came to Hermione's eyes as she reread the note 3 times. _She had a sister?_ She recalled her parents talking about how her father had gone to see his parents for a few months right before she was born. Her father had gone to take care of his mother who had cancer. Hermione recalled how they always joked about how her father promised he would run home if he had to once he heard her mother was in labor. But this was unbelievable.

 _Did my father gift this to me on purpose, or did it just fall in?_ She knew that this book used to be his, so maybe it just got in there by accident. Perhaps her mother did not want her to know, but her father felt he should somehow tell her, so he put it in on purpose. Either way, this reminded her of her parents. She felt guilt poking her ribs, seeping into her stomach. _I mean I really had no choice, I had to take away their memories,_ she justified to herself. _I loved them too much to keep them in danger, even if it meant loosing them._ However, now that the Battle was over, Hermione couldn't help but feel remorse. She would never know for sure if taking away her parent's memories had protected them, and now she had lost them and with them, any information about her sister, forever, or so she thought.

 **This is my first fanfic so I'm just getting the hang of things... Reviews would be greatly appreciated :)**


	2. The Proposition

Mrs. Weasley had made a feast for breakfast. Hermione could smell the familiar aroma of toast, eggs, pumpkin juice, and strawberry jam. It seemed as though nothing had changed since her days at Hogwarts, but in reality, nothing was the same. As she made her way downstairs, Ginny and Harry were already at the table. Ron, as usual, was still sleeping. Hermione hadn't made up her mind about what to tell her two best friends, or even if she should tell them about her sister. But if she had learned anything from the battle, it was that you never know what is going to happen, so don't set yourself up for regret. Hermione was so caught up in her thoughts that she was completely oblivious to what she had just walked it on: Harry and Ginny about to kiss. Both were completely red-faced as they quickly, awkwardly jerked away from each other when they saw Hermione.

Hermione laughed to herself, as everyone knew Ginny and Harry were together, but they still insisted on hiding their affection for one another. Mrs. Weasley called to Hermione from the kitchen, asked if she'd slept well and then requested her to go and wake Ron up. Hermione agreed and then made her way up to the room that Ron, George, and Harry shared. As she knocked and then walked in, Hermione noticed that George wasn't there. He was mourning over Fred and often went for long walks early in the morning. Hermione couldn't help but feel sympathy towards him, as she had just found out she had a sister, and it killed her to not be able to see her.

Ron was fast asleep, snoring away, as Hermione gently tugged on the covers of his bed. He groaned, but once he opened his eyes, he smiled when he saw Hermione's bright face right above his. "Morning" he whispered, and Hermione, blushed as she realized how close her face was to his. Sure, they had kissed during the battle, but after that, they had never really talked about what they were: a couple or just friends. And Hermione was quite reluctant to ever have that conversation with Ron, as she may have been the brightest witch of her age, but she was inexperienced when it came to matters of the heart. There was no denying she cared about him, and the last thing she wanted was to ruin their friendship and break his heart by saying the wrong thing. "Morning" Hermione said as she jerked her head back, "Your mom wants you to come down to breakfast". "Ok", he said, "I'll be right there". "Hermione, are you ok? You look a little shaken", he noticed. Hermione always loved that about her two best friends. They may have been clueless about many things, but when it came to her, they could usually tell when even the smallest problem was nagging her mind. "It's nothing", Hermione quickly replied, "I just couldn't sleep, that's all".

During breakfast, Harry and Ron were engrossed in a conversation about Quiddich, while Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were arguing about whether Ginny should return back to Hogwarts. While Mrs. Weasley wanted Ginny to complete her studies, Ginny wanted to stay back; and Hermione suspected that the reason had a lot to do with Harry.

After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley sent Hermione and Ron to go to the attic and start cleaning it out. Hermione wondered if Mrs. Weasley was purposely trying to get Hermione and Ron to date by making them spend time together, as this was the third day in a row that she had sent Hermione and Ron to do work with one another.

As they made their way up, Hermione could sense some tension with Ron, maybe it was his mannerisms, or perhaps just the lack of conversation. Before she could ask him what was wrong though, he told her himself. "I wish I could just get away", he proclaimed. "What do you mean?" she said, "Away from who, what?" "Away from all this sadness. I mean don't get me wrong, I am sad about Fred and I would do anything to get him back, but I feel like staying here, with my family, I am going no where. I want to get a job, move out, get a new start, and forget about the past you know?" Hermione was completely shocked by this. Not by what he had said, but by the fact that he has chosen to open his heart to her. Ron had never been one to share his feelings, at least to her. "Ron, I completely understand", she said. In fact, it had just occurred to her that she wanted the same thing that he did. "I have a sister", she blurted out. "What?" he replied. Hermione explained the whole situation to Ron, and throughout, his expression remained constant. "Do you want to go and find her?" he asked. "I'm not sure, I want to meet her, but I haven't really thought about what would happen if we did meet", she said. "Well bloody hell, I have an idea!" he said. "We can go together to Australia to find your sister. We would both get what we want, Hermione. And I will be there with you, to help you figure out what to do after you meet her." Hermione was startled by this proposition. _But it does make sense,_ she thought.

And then for the first time in her life, Hermione made a decision, a pretty big one, without thinking about the pros and cons first: she said yes.

 **This chapter was a bit boring but I'm just trying to set the stage for whats to come! Pls. Review :)**


	3. The Plan

"Seriously?" Ron was startled. Hermione Granger, the same Hermione whom he had known for more than half his life, just agreed to go halfway across the world with him, in about a split second after he asked her. He was expecting her to say she'll think about it or something along those lines, but Granger was always coming up with ways to surprise him, which was one of the things he loved about her.

"Yes. When do you want to leave?" Hermione couldn't believe this was happening, but in her heart, she felt this was the perfect arrangement for both of them. "How about tomorrow", Ron suggested. They decided that they would tell the rest of the family that Hermione was going to look for her parents, and Ron, being a good friend, was going to help. Hermione truthfully had no idea where her parents were, but this lie would cover up the fact that she had a sister. It wasn't that Hermione was ashamed of having an "illegitimate" sister or anything; it was just that if she didn't find her, then it would be awkward and everyone would pity her. If there was one thing Hermione hated, it was being pitied.

So it was arranged. They were going to leave the next day. Once Ron and Hermione finished looking through the old things in the attic, separating what they would keep from what they would throw away, they went to their respective rooms to pack. As Hermione was walking to her room, she realized that what had been two hours work could have been accomplished using magic. But she didn't regret not thinking of that before, as this ignorance gave her a chance to talk to her best friend about what normal best friends talk about instead of things having to do with magic and the war.

Harry and Ginny, who Mrs. Weasley was also trying to match up, were sent to clean the closet, but they were able to accomplish the task with a simple spell. "What should we do now?" Ginny asked Harry. "I'm sure mum won't come looking for us for another hour". Harry, though able to defeat the Dark Lord, still got butterflies in his stomach every time Ginny flirted with him, and this time was no different. But Ginny, who had tons of experience with boys, knew she needed to make the first move. She reeled Harry in by his shirt and kissed him hard. Her lips were so plump and soft on Harry's thin and ripe lips. And as he kissed her back and grabbed her waist, Ginny couldn't help but get a fluttering, warm sensation in the pit of her stomach. _The "Chosen One" chose me, Ginny Weasley, of all the girls in the world._

They snogged for about ten minutes when they heard George's footsteps on the stairs. It seemed he finally returned from his walk. As they peeled away from each other, George, who was watching secretly from the stairwell, had a smug smile pasted on his face. He told them to carry on, smirked once more, and went into his room. In this instance, though he had lost his lifetime companion, George's personality seemed unaltered when it came to underhandedly making fun of his little sister and her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Hermione rehearsed what she and Ron would tell the family at dinner. _It does sound pretty convincing_ , she thought. _I needn't over think this._ As she packed practically her whole wardrobe, some Muggle money, and basically anything else she found hypothetically useful into her beaded bag, she recalled how that same bag had helped her, Harry and Ron win the war.

That night at dinner, Mrs. Weasley made, as usual, a delicious assortment of food including mashed potatoes, mince pies, and roast beef. Hermione and Ron kept looking at each other while eating, trying to taunt the other into starting the conversation. The longer they kept delaying it, however, the more intimidating the task seemed.

But finally during dessert, while eating Mrs. Weasley's delicious homemade fudge, Hermione sucked up and announced her departure for the next day. Ron finally decided to chime in at the end to say that he was going to accompany Hermione to Australia. While George seemed distant and unaffected, the rest of the family started to talk at the same time, each of them trying to voice their opinion on the idea. Harry seemed hurt that he wasn't included in the plan, but was supportive nonetheless; Ginny also thought it was a great idea and offered to help. Mrs. Weasley offered to help them pack, while Mr. Weasley told them he would contact some people at the Ministry of Magic in Australia to help them find a place to stay and an idea of where to start the search. When they were asked how long they would search for, Hermione replied, "As long as it takes, but obviously not too ridiculous a time like a year or anything". It surprised Ron how much his family trusted him to go away with his girlfriend, alone, to the other side of the world, for an unspecified amount of time. But then he remembered how him, Harry, and Hermione had camped out last year while trying to hunt Horcruxes, and realized he must've earned his parents trust.

That night, Hermione was too anxious to sleep. She was excited about the adventure, but scared at the same time. Regardless of the fact that she read for practically the whole night, because she was unable to sleep, and now was already halfway through her book, the next morning, she was refreshed, happy, and ready.


End file.
